UK/FILE: French silent movie "The Artist" and British spy drama "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" lead the pack at this year's BAFTA nominations with 12 and 11 nods, respectively

Record ID: 342908

  • Title: UK/FILE: French silent movie "The Artist" and British spy drama "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" lead the pack at this year's BAFTA nominations with 12 and 11 nods, respectively
  • Date: 9th February 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (JANUARY 17, 2012) (REUTERS) RADCLIFFE ANNOUNCING NOMINATIONS FOR LEADING ACTOR CATEGORY
  • Embargoed: 24th February 2012 12:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA2BGUI1XE3S0ZRT4YX9H1LJKVF
  • Story Text: Silent movie "The Artist" led the BAFTA nominations on Tuesday picking up 12, just one ahead of British Cold War-era spy movie "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" which has 11.
    "Hugo," Martin Scorsese's family adventure, scored nine nods followed by "My Week with Marilyn" with six and then five each for "The Help" and "War Horse."
    As expected, Meryl Streep appears on the shortlist for best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." She is favoured to land an Academy Award for the performance too.
    Streep is up against Berenice Bejo ("The Artist"), Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn"), Tilda Swinton ("We Need to Talk About Kevin") and Viola Davis ("The Help").
    The best actor category is made up of Brad Pitt ("Moneyball"), Gary Oldman ("Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"), George Clooney ("The Descendants"), Jean Dujardin ("The Artist") and Michael Fassbender ("Shame").
    Meanwhile the best picture award will either go to "The Artist", "The Descendants", "Drive", "The Help" or "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy".
    Film critic Mark Kermode, who is also a member of the BAFTA voting panel, said he was excited to see the wide range of films that are in the running this year.
    "It's very interesting to see a best film field that includes on the one hand 'The Artist', black and white silent film, on the other hand 'Drive' you know which is a very very sort of stylish and quite you know hardcore pulp thriller ... and then 'Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy' which of course is not a film about spying, it's a film about men not trusting each other. That's a really interesting field. You know remember last year when it was very much 'The King's Speech' year, but the story was 'The King's Speech' versus 'Social Network', I think it's great to see a year in which it really shows the diversity of film," he said.
    The nominations were announced by actors Daniel Radcliffe and Holliday Granger at BAFTA's headquarters in Piccadilly, London.
    Radcliffe, best known for starring as the title character in the Harry Potter movie franchise, said he was particularly excited to see Gary Oldman up for a nod in the leading actor category.
    "I'd love Gary Oldman to get one for 'Tinker, Taylor', cause he's fantastic and it's a great film", the actor said, adding: "I mean I've seen 'Bridesmaids' as well which I thought was a great movie and I'm very excited to see that one in there."
    Granger agreed: "There's a lot of the films I'm still yet to see. I'm very excited to see 'Shame' that is out, but I absolutely love 'The Artist', smiled all the way through it and love 'Bridesmaids', cried all the way through that one," she said.
    "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2", the eighth and final instalment in the series has received nominations for Production Design, Make Up & Hair, Sound and Special Visual Effects. But despite not making an impact on the main categories, Radcliffe said he was pleased with the nominations nonetheless.
    "You know we got four nominations and I think they're in categories in which we are really, really strong. I don't think you know, it's just because the series is ending you have to necessarily give it nominations. I mean we have, we got four so I'm very happy with that," he said.
    The nominations for the BAFTAs, Britain's top film honours and the most closely watched movie awards outside the United States, come a week before the Oscar shortlists are unveiled. The BAFTAs are awarded in London on February 12.
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